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 Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:20 pm
Heti was bored. Like....really, REALLY bored. So bored that he thought he might just keel right over and never get up again. And, to make things worse, his parents were having one of their lame arguments again which meant he couldn't even get their attention. And his siblings...? Well...they weren't anywhere in sight, and to be quite honest, he didn't want to be seen with any of those guys anyway. That just isn't cool!
So, instead he was padding his way from den to den, pausing and blinking as an adult passed him by, barely sparing a glance at him. He puffed out his cheeks a little, whiskers lifting, and with that pouty expression on his face, moved onwards, pouncing at shadows as he went.
The day was not as hot as it had been recently. The clouds were seeing to that, skudded across the sky above his head. They were brilliant white, but thick and masked the sun so that the world was cast into an odd shade of grey. And that, he figured, was perfect play time. So, now all he had to do was find a playmate! Sadly...he hadn't really made too many friends, probably because he was a bit of a mouthy git. But he had made a couple and it was those he sought out now. But where they would be? That was a different matter entirely.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:39 pm
Although the cloud cover continued to blot out and the sun and take away some of the desert's heat, Calixte still found that he was uncomfortable. Darker pelts grew hot as their fur attracted the rays of the sun, but in his case the sun seemed to give him red spots on his nose and face that burned and itched. He had tried to scratch them a few times to rid himself of the sensation, but it in fact only made it worse. The red spots had even broken the skin and caused him to bleed a little, staining his light fur a deep crimson. It was probably the only time he would be as red as the Firekin blood that flowed through his veins.
So it was because of this situation that one could have found him sprawled out under a small rock jutting out from the sand. His belly touched the sand as his front and hind paws stretched out in either direction. It was a way of cooling him off, and also a way of easing the pain from the sunburns.
Various lions passed by his resting place, and a few started when he stirred and appeared to be some desert creepy crawling come to bite them. He paid most no mind, and didn't even mind the weird looks they shot at him when they realized that he had none of the traditional Firekin colors upon his pelt. He didn't understand the reasoning behind it, and so thought it unnecessary to trouble himself attempting to figure it out.
But it was when a familiar small yet bulky figure passed by that Calixte put forth enough energy to lift his belly from the comforting sand. Light eyes blinked and focused as he passed out from the rocks into the outside world. Even with the cloud cover, it was still bright. "Heti!" he called, his voice raspy as he hadn't talked at all that day. "Hey, Heti!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:47 pm
So, maybe down this way, then? He was picking his way down some flat slabs of rock and then moving away when he heard someone calling him. His head turned to seek who it was immediately, eyes wide and bright with anticipation. A second later and he realised who the voice belonged to.
Cal!
He'd forgotten how light his friend's pelt was and was surprised at how easily the boy blended into his background. He marvelled at it a moment, realising that his friend could be quite a stealthy attacked as he grew older. He made a mental note about that, and hoped he'd be more careful in the future. If he wanted to duel with this one someday, he'd have to make sure he wasn't going to blur out of sight like that! In any case it was a gift that Heti envied, for his coat was stark against the sands. "Cal!" He called back, turning and making his way quickly - and clumsily - back to where the other had movedonto his paws. "Cal! I've been looking all over for you!" He pulled up short in front of his friend and padded his paws somewhat impatiently against the sand. "There's adventure to be had, Cal, and we're missing out on it!" His 'padding' had become excited dancing now.
"So, if you had plans, scratch them out. We have places to be, buddy!" It seemed that the rocky start to their friendship had all been forgotten. Cal - being smaller and more agile on his feet - had managed to evade Heti's attacks until he tired and that, in Heti's eyes, made him a friend pretty much forever. If Cal could beat him, then he was a worthy ally. Or that's what he figured anyhow.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:56 pm
Calixte grinned from ear to ear, forgetting all about his sunburn. He was glad that he had beat Heti that day, not because of some pride or ego thing, but because he had gained a friend through it all. The other, larger cub didn't seem to have any grudge against the lighter male, and that was best of all. They could get past it and just be good natured about it all. It was wonderful! Plus, Heti seemed to be one of the few that didn't give him strange looks for no reason.
At the talk of adventure, a sudden sense of wonder surged through him. He instantly wanted to know about this great experience that he was missing out on, and he wanted desperately for Heti to show him. The fact that the red and black male had searched him out made him feel special, and his body wriggled in giddy anticipation.
"I didn't have any plans!" he replied quickly, wanting to convince the other that he was completely eager and ready to go on this grand exploration. He wondered if it was anywhere nearby, or if they would have to travel over tough terrain. Either way, he was sure that, together, they could conquer anything. Heti had the brawn, which coupled wonderfully with Cal's agility. Together, they could take down any foe!
"Lead the way, lead the way!" he cried excitedly, his owns paws slapping the ground in a variation of Heti's dance.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:10 pm
Yes. Heti had meant to ask his parents about this pelt thing, but in all honesty he had forgotten and to be honest, Heti didn't much care about that anymore. Cal wasn't any different from him and that was that. Issue dealt with.
"Alright then! That's what I like to hear! Okay, follow me. I'll tell you the plan as we go. No time to waste! My parents are busy arguing right now and as soon as that's other with, they're probably going to come looking to make sure the 'babies' aren't in any trouble." He rolled his eyes. Seriously, though, he could totally take care of himself and it was irritating that he was told off for being gone longer than expected.
He trotted swiftly as he could across the compact sand, directing them away from the den area and across the great sea of gold. The pawprints left behind were quickly dispersed by the wind, erasing the path they had taken and thus aiding them on their adventure.
"Okay, so listen to this. I heard someone talking about this place where some of the Firekin draw pictures on some stones here. I think I saw the ones the other day when I was walking with mum, so here's what we're going to do. We're going to sneak over to them, find some of the stuff they use to make pictures, and do some of our own."
Yes...so...basically...they were going to graffitti the stone slabs...
He was chuckling to himself. "What do you reckon, Cal? You up for it?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:27 pm
Heti's energy was completely contagious, and as the two continued on across the sand, Calixte found that his earlier laziness and suffering due to his sunburn had all vanished. His large paws helped him get across the sand, but he still occasionally sunk down. Nevertheless, he felt proud of himself for keeping up with the larger Firekin as they traveled towards their destination.
At the mention of his parents, Calixte thought back and tried to remember if his parents had been around. He had been slightly isolated from his family underneath the rock, and hadn't been aware of their positions relative to his location. So when Heti had come along and invited him on the adventure, he hadn't bothered to check on his family. If they had seen him wander off, he wouldn't know. Although, more likely than not, no one had noticed him slipping away. He had come to realize that his fur blended rather nicely with the surrounding sand, which helped with sneaky escapes.
But his family was of no interest as the red and black lion spoke of this place where lions drew pictures on stone. He had never heard of such a thing, and he was rather curious about it all. How could a lion draw on rock? Rocks were tough and raw, at least if they were big enough. But, for someone of his size, everything seemed larger.
"Sounds like fun," he chuckled, flexing his claws in anticipation of this new challenge. He wasn't sure if they were allowed to do this, but he certainly shouldn't have snuck off from his mother. He was already breaking one rule, so breaking one more couldn't possibly do any harm... right?
"Take me to it!" he called, bouncing around the older Firekin.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:34 pm
Heti wasn't exactly sure about these rocks himself. He figured they must serve some sort of purpose, especially if lions were designated to do it. But what did they draw? Lions? Imaginary things? Stuff they had seen? Perhaps all they drew was desert and sky, after all, there wasn't that much around here to draw. In any case they were soon to find out and he could barely contain his excitement about it.
His pace quickened a little as Calixte agreed on the plan and he threw his friend a huge grin, his head bobbing with a nod. "Yep! Fun is definately the right word!" He continued chattering, his mouth apparently on auto-pilot now.
"We just gotta make sure we don't get caught. There's no telling what might happen! I mean, we're not exactly going to ruin their pictures. We're just going to add our own, so it's not a real big deal or anything. Even still, you know adults, overreacting over every little thing!" He rolled his eyes and snorted. "So, if this is going to get them all huffing, we've gotta make sure they don't know it was us. That way we can have an adventure and get away with it, no punishment involved!"
His eyes scouted ahead and he picked up on the stone slabs - all different shapes and sizes - amongst the sand. It almost seemed as if the harsh winds had revealed them from beneath the sand where once they had been hidden away.
"Look, Cal, there it is! We better think about what to draw!" He pondered. "Something funny!"
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:57 pm
Calixte nodded in response to the other, agreeing that they should certainly be sneaky about it all and draw something that didn't directly link them to the vandalism. Perhaps they could get some inspiration from the other drawings that were already there. He didn't exactly want to copy anything, but he knew that he probably didn't have enough creativity to come up with something fantastic.
He wondered vaguely if the other members of his family knew about these rocks, and if any of his relatives had come here to leave their own drawings. He was suddenly a lot more interested, if that had even been possible. He wanted to see everything that everyone had ever left, and he was excited to be a part of something that seemed like somewhat of a tradition. Heti was a great friend, he decided, and he was glad that he had chanced upon him that one day in the sand.
But, definitely, it would be all the better if they didn't get punished for anything.
As they reached the rocks, all varying in size and massiveness, Cal had to stop for a moment in order to take it all in and process what was before him. He couldn't yet see the drawings, but he was sure that they would be just as impressive as these rocks. When reminded that he needed to think about what to draw, he was drawn from his thoughts and grinned stupidly at his friend. "Maybe we could just draw your face!" he laughed, not meaning it as a real insult. It was all in good humor, and he hoped that Heti didn't take it the wrong way.
After all, they could just as easily draw Calixte's face and it would be just as funny.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:10 pm
Heti, too, was momentarily stunned by the size of these rocks up close. He felt dwarfed enough when surrounded by adults, but some of these rocks were perhaps twice the height of a fully grown adult male. To reach the top one would have to stand on their hind legs and stretch upwards...
He was in the middle of gawping when Calixte responded to his earlier comment.
"My..." It took him a moment to register the insult and, with faked hurt, he pounced at the other. "Why you little...! There's nothing funny about my face! I've got the face of a warrior!" He wrinkled his little snout in displeasure. "Besides, think about it, Cal. If I drew my face up there, that'd be just as good as running up to an adult and saying, 'look, look, look what I diiiid!'." He waved his paws around as he spoke and fell back into laughter.
But the laughter ended abruptly and he froze, his head angled slightly to the right of where they were positioned. "Hey, shh, Cal." He hissed. "Look, over there. Someone's there!" Oh damn! Now that was going to ruin everything!! Perhaps a moment after the cubs had arrived, a young adolescent Firekin had approached from the far side of the stones, her body crouched low over the sand, her movements slow and suspicious. She seemed shaky and jumpy and startled at the shadows cast over her by the stones.
And then, a moment later, she moved from one stone slab to the next, her flickering eyes scanning briefly over each one. She was so intent on looking at them that she did not notice the cubs standing on the other side of the 'gallery'.
Her fur was bristled with nerves and after a moment she paused before one slab and reared up on her hing legs, placing both forepaws against bare patches of stone so that she might get a closer look at the drawings near the top.
Even at this distance, the cubs would be able to hear her frantic mumblings. Yes...this female definately seemed out of place here. And just a little bit odd.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:57 pm
At first the sandy colored lion thought that his friend had taken his words the wrong way, but upon the laughter he realized that he was joking back. He grinned then, ears perked up as he wrestled momentarily with Heti. It did indeed seem as if he had the face of the warrior, but he didn't feel like giving in. "Face of a warrior?" he growled playfully, "I think the lack of water has caused you to make up things about yourself!" That was funny, right? No water, no way to look at his reflection. Cal thought it was funny, at least.
He wiggled and attempted to get the better of his foe, but before he could even bundle up his muscles in preparation for a pounce, Heti hushed him and spoke of there being someone else at the rocks. Immediately the worst scenario popped into his mind. He thought that they had been found out, and he struggled to look for some place safe to hide.
But as he was looking around, he noticed that the other Firekin that was there was a younger one, although older than the two males. She seemed nervous, perhaps even agitated. Cal crouched low, attempting to take advantage of the fact that his fur blended with the sand. It didn't seem like she was paying her surroundings any attention, but he thought that it couldn't hurt to take extra precautions. He then watched her with curious eyes as she traveled between drawings, looking at them intently. It seemed almost as if she were searching for a certain one, and he wondered exactly which one.
Stealing a glance towards Heti, the lighter cub whispered, "What should we do?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:17 pm
Make up things about himself? What? No way! He was going to be an awesome warrior! Well...guard, actually. But his father had said that guards have to fight, too, so he was going to be the best of both worlds. How's that for being awesome!?
He would have continued this banter if it had not been for the appearance of the older female and now, though he wished to speak, he found his voice frozen. What should they do? Just go and come back later? But then again...this female looked edgy and suspicious. What if she was up to something wrong? Or...WAIT! What if she was stealing their idea and looking to draw her own pictures, too? Well that wasn't on! It had been his idea and he'd been proud of it!
And then his friend spoke up and he flinched a little, wishing he had the same shade of pelt as Cal. He inched sideways a little, partially obscuring himself behind one of the slabs.
"I don't know..." He trailed. "I mean...I'd say we should maybe get out of here before we get caught but..." He tilted his head a little. "Do you think she might be up to something? She sure isn't acting like she's supposed to be here, don't you think?"
And as the two conversed, the female dropped back onto all fours and moved to the next slab, her body jolting to a sudden halt. She turned her head and fixed her eyes on something. Maybe she had found what she had been looking for? No...she was moving again.
And then she reached the next, a shorted, wider slab of rock than the others, this one almost completely covered in drawings where as the others were only sparsely covered - and some not covered at all.
It was here that she stood, shaking and mumbling to herself. And then she wept, cried aloud without shame. Any why would she? As far as Naar was concerned, no one was there to see her. No one knew a Firekin was crying. And the tears ran somewhat uncontrollably down her face as she drew closer, pressing her nose to the slab as if she were pressing it to the cheek of a friend.
And then she was debating with herself, low under her breath, trying to talk her way in - or out? - of what she was doing. Another sob racked her and then she reached up with a paw, pressing it against the slab of rock with a somewhat gentle touch.
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